Teen Patient FAQ

Are you seeing patients during the COVID-19 outbreak? Upper Hudson Planned  Parenthood is closely monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak. The health and safety of our patients, staff, and community is our top priority. For that reason, our doors remain open and we will continue to see patients at our health centers. We continue to adhere to the proper infection control in our health centers as well as all necessary precautions including social distancing both inside and outside of our health centers. 

UPDATE: If you are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please do not come to our health center. Walk-ins will no longer be accepted, please call us to schedule an appointment. Support people are not allowed in the health center. EC is still available at the front desk at no cost.

Where can I find health information, like about pregnancy, STIs/STDs (sexually transmitted infections, aka sexually transmitted diseases), birth control, and other stuff like that?
Visit the health info section of the national Planned Parenthood website, where you can find answers by category or by performing a search. The Planned Parenthood website devoted to the topics teens care about most, with videos, questions submitted by teens and answered by health professionals, and more.

Where can I find information about health center hours, locations and what kind of services they offer?
On this page, enter your zip code or state and receive a list of the health centers closest to you, along with contact information and available health services, directions, and the option to request an appointment at the health center online. Click on a health center's name for further details on hours, special programs and walk-in clinics, and more.

If I visit one of the UHPP (Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood) health centers in Albany, Troy, or Hudson, will my parents find out?
Under New York State law, minors can give informed consent and receive confidential services without parental notification or consent. UHPP encourages minors to include a parent or another responsible adult in decision-making regarding their sexual health and choices surrounding unintended pregnancies, but would never share your health information or even the fact that you are our patient with anyone without your explicit consent. Please inform staff if you are concerned about confidentiality, so we can make necessary arrangements to notify you of test results or billing information.

I'm under 18 and I don't have insurance. Will I have to pay for my visit?
Most uninsured minors, and many students over 18, can use our health centers for free, either by qualifying for a no-pay rate on our fee-scale or by signing up for a free health insurance program here in our office.  We can't guarantee all services will be free in all cases, but we will do everything we can to make sure you can get the services you need.

I have insurance, but it's through my parents. Will they find out about my visit?
Different insurance companies have different policies, but many send home an explanation of benefits (EOB) that list visit details. The best way to know for sure is to call the customer services number on the back of your insurance card and ask.

If your insurance company does send out an EOB, and confidentiality is an issue, UHPP can often help you sign up for free, confidential coverage in our health center. Learn about the programs, coverage, and eligibility,  call (518) 434-5678.

I'm using my health insurance when I come in. Will I still have to pay for my visit?
Many insurance companies require patients to pay a copay any time they have an appointment. Copays usually range from $10 to $35, but it depends on the insurance company and your type of plan. Copays are usually listed on the front of your insurance card, but if they aren't, you can call the customer service number on the back of the card to find out. Copays have to be collected at the beginning of your appointment, unless you have signed up to have the Family Planning Benefit Program pay the cost for you. Most Medicaid plans require no copay.

I just want some condoms and birth control. Do I have to have an appointment?
You can pick up condoms for free anytime our health centers are open. If you have already gotten a birth control prescription from us and it's a type that we carry (most are), you can pick your birth control up at any of UHPP's health centers while they are open (types we don't carry can be filled at the pharmacy). If you don't have a birth control prescription, you would need to come in for one of two different kinds of appointments either a birth control discussion, called a HOPE visit (Hormonal Options without a Pelvic Exam) or, if you want, a full gynecological exam and pap smear. HOPE visits can be done during our walk-ins or as appointments, but full exams have to be scheduled as appointments.

I just want to pick up EC (emergency contraception, aka "the morning-after pill"). Do I have to have an appointment, and does it cost anything?
In some cases, some versions of EC are free, if you are a patient or not. If the version of EC that you need is not free, UHPP can sign you up for a program to help cover the costs.

It's hard for me to schedule appointments that I know I'll be able to keep. What can I do? Do you take walk-ins?
There are two things that might help. First, we do have walk-in hours, where patients just come in without an appointment and are seen in the order in which they got there. Or make an appointment online and cancel if needed!

I heard about a program where high school students get paid to talk to people at their school and at fairs and things about safe sex and reproductive health. What is that?
It's called the Youth Health Promoters peer education program, and our peer educators get to do a lot more than that. They attend special conferences and represent UHPP at all kinds of community events. They also hang out in the Teen Room during our teens-only walk-in clinic on Thursday afternoon to answer questions while patients wait to be seen.